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Eagles surge past Rams for Week 1 win

September 12 CSN Philly

The 2011 Eagles’ defense had been on the field exactly eight seconds, and disaster had already struck. After all the coaching changes, all the Pro Bowl acquisitions, all the hype, it took the Rams precisely one play to get in the end zone. Steven Jackson’s explosive 47-yard touchdown run on the very first snap the revamped Eagles’ defense faced this year gave the Rams a seven-point lead less than four minutes into the Eagles-Rams season opener.

ST. LOUIS – The Eagles gave up 154 rushing yards to the Rams, and if you want to lose sleep over that, be my guest. Juan Castillo won’t. While he wasn’t happy that Steven Jackson was able to slice through his unit for a 47-yard touchdown run on the Rams’ first play from scrimmage, and while he wasn’t happy that the Rams piled up 90 rushing yards on their first two possessions, the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator knows that not many teams are going to be able to beat the Eagles and their high-octane offense strictly by running the football.

Eagles notes: Watkins, LeSean, JP’s TD

September 12 CSN Philly

Don’t worry about right guard Danny Watkins. Watkins started training camp as a starter. He finished training camp – and the preseason as the starter. Yet he did so without having participated in minicamps and OTAs. And, he started training camp late while his contract was completed. His inexperience showed in the preseason. So much so that the Eagles signed Kyle DeVan and and moved Watkins to the second team. What’s more, Watkins was inactive for the season opener.

Eagles’ O-line starts slow, finishes strong

September 12 CSN Philly

New right tackle. New right guard. New center. New left guard. So, how did the offensive line do in the Eagles’ season-opening 31-13 rout of the Rams? “I think we did OK,” said left tackle Jason Peters, the only one of the five in the same team and position as last season. “Just a bunch of stuff we’ve got to clean up to get better. But for the most part we blocked them pretty good.”

ST. LOUIS – The outside noise has been particularly noisome lately for DeSean Jackson, what with other players successfully getting contracts negotiated, and Terrell Owens going on the radio and saying he shouldn’t be risking injury without a new deal, and an unusual number of typists and talkers attempting to read his mind. Keeping the sideshow separate from his business is Jackson’s full-time job now, and will continue to be for as long as he is ridiculously underpaid and without a new contract. And the thing is, Jackson knows this well.

No new contract, no problem for DeSean

September 12 CSN Philly

Just because he doesn’t have a new contract doesn’t mean DeSean Jackson isn’t going to play like one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers. Jackson, the NFL’s most underpaid player, opened the 2011 season with his 12th career 100-yard game in the Eagles’ 31-13 win over the Rams Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Jackson caught six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.